Concerns about air quality and chimney height convinced Calderdale Council’s Cabinet to refuse permission for a permit for an incinerator in Sowerby Bridge.

Before the meeting at Halifax Town Hall last night (Monday, June 11) campaigners against the proposal greeted councillors with protest banners but in the event Cabinet members went against officers recommendations and rejected the application for an environmental permit at a company’s Mearclough premises.

Calder Valley Skip Hire had asked for permission to operate a small waste incinerator plant.

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Officers recommended the plans should be granted, subject to conditions, but leader of the council Clr Tim Swift (Labour, Town), chairing Cabinet, proposed it should be refused and his colleagues agreed.

He said there were concerns about the height of the chimney and the incinerator would be sited in an area where there were already concerns about air quality.

Cabinet members had studied the detailed report prepared for them, Clr Swift told the meeting.

Clr Tim Swift

His initial intention was that this section of the meeting would follow the format of a planning committee. However the process was not the same and should not be presented with new material and therefore would not hear new representations, he said.

Specific issues in the report outlined the application was incompatible with the company’s existing permit for the site issued by the Environment Agency which prohibits burning materials within the site boundary.

The applicant was contacted and agreed it was not his intention to operate the SWIP without first varying the relevant condition in his existing permit.

Had the permit been granted, a full planning application would have had to be submitted for the site.

The applicant can appeal to the Secretary of State against the decision to refuse the permit.

The officers’ report warns that if the applicant successfully argued the council had acted unreasonably, the appellant could apply for costs.

Councillors representing Sowerby Bridge and Ryburn wards and MPs Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley) and Holly Lynch (Halifax) are among those who have spoken out against the plans, with residents opposing the proposal including the campaigning Benbow Group, which has a crowdfunding page to raise money the help pay for any legal costs.

For its part Calder Valley Skip Hire has said what the family owned business proposed would be small scale, incinerating waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill.